I need a story-heavy lore-heavy top-down OR isometric action-oriented role playing video game with character...

I need a story-heavy lore-heavy top-down OR isometric action-oriented role playing video game with character customization – including beyond the initial character screen especially in regards to stats but also in regards to appearance – and a heavy focus on exploration and experimentation but also with reasonably enjoyable combat that either holds its own or doesn't detract from the rest of the game experience.

Player freedom is a huge plus. Not freedom as in "open world," but rather as in how the player can progress in the game world and giving problems multiple solutions.

Suggestions?

Monster Cunter
Zelda: Breasts of a Child
Sonic Horses
Uwuwuwuuw

Xanadu Next might be right up your alley

It would be if it didn't force me to play as Shulk.

Your equipment changes your appearance anyways

Not isometric, but Kotor 1 and 2 seems to be up your alley.

They were back when I played them.

Jade Empire, too.

But those games… well, there will never be any more games like that. We all know why.

Maplestory 2

monster hunter games don't have any exploration

zeldo doesn't have a meaningful amount of customization

I don't know about the other… two?

I hate those muslim bitches acting all cute in opressive burkas.

Blade and Soul???

Neverwinter nights 1 and 2?

Exploration? Story? Lore?

Look it up yourself you lazy cunt

the dankest of lore

Divinity: Original Sin

Maybe too much of an on the nose suggestion though

disregard

Seriously though, is there a game like Xanadu Next with a custom character or at least more options for playable character than just one person?

Blade and Soul actually has really fun action combat. And you can make perfect waifu characters. But the story is kind of shit, though.

The lore is standard fare Far Eastern mystical garbage. But it's tolerable.

There's isn't much of a focus on exploration but the land is pretty and you can pretty quickly zoom around using that mystical air running/gliding shit all the time.

Kind of makes me want to try it again. I played it for a month or so a while back.

Have you played Titan Quest and Grim Dawn?

REMINDER
BNS was censored worldwide, there is no server save from the plague.

No.
I'd much prefer it be isometric but it's still good.

This is sad and pathetic.

As for OP's request there is Sacred 2.
Check. Look at this shit.
Check. This is kinda spoiler, but pictures 2 and 3 are from Sacred 1, which explains a lot of going ons from Sacred 2.
Check. It's a diablo clone.
It's kinda limited but you can change skin color, hair color and hair styles for female characters. All pieces of armor also have fully rendered models and are quite different in appearance. These are armors for the same class.
This is the most subjective here, as shitloads of people despise Sacred 2 combat, while a select few consider it to be the best in the genre. I think it's pretty ok, I liked it more than super formulaic Grim Dawn one.
It's a diablo clone so most of your freedom comes from how do you play your class. Each class can be played in a variety of drastically different ways. For example undead warrior can go either full Necromancer or full Barbarian, or something in between.
There are some side quests with choices that affect rewards and which NPCs live in the end, but not story overall. Most classes can choose between good or evil alignment at least.

Isn't that the game that focused completely on tits and ass and got closed a few years ago?

That was another game. Crimson boobs or something.
This one also focused on ass and tits and got censored a few years ago because of SJW war in korea.

Damn user at this point you just want properly made open-world game or MMO.
Literally both of the genres that have no good games in it.

Lol?

Oh look this one game that actually could have been decent but nobody talks about it because they changed character underwear.
Does it requires to play previous game btw?

More like people can't into emulation, but no it doesn't require you to play any other xeno games.

Its a fucking single player MMO

Parroting somebody without actually playing shit never gets old, right?

and pointlessly renamed characters and locations
and shoved memes and references in every crevasse
and was littered with re-writes
and was released on a dead system who's emulator doesn't run the game perfectly yet

Terranigma?

I mean, it was fine for its time, but come on.

Most arpgs and isometrics are mediocre, it's not like there's many good ones that weren't made by Square, unless you just want Diablo 2 clones.

Arcanum.

tell me more

A-are those actual modelled nipples?

Is that one of those games that controls like Diablo 1 with cookie clicker combat?

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I prefer clicking TOWARDS enemies, not ON them.

Aiming attacks and skills rather than "character automatically attacks whatever you're clicking" is infinitely better (even if on paper it only seems a tiny bit better)

It's a turn-based game you underage fag.

But this thread is for action-oriented games

How old are you?
Have you been lurking imageboards for less than 6 months?
How do the fuck don't you know what Arcanum is?

I mean, it is an overated piece of shit, not defending the game.

Off-hand all I know about it offhand is that it has "steamworks" somewhere in the name and it's totally-not-a-JRPG

You're not going to get that from a JRPG, the RPGs with choices and character customization are western, JRPGs usually have a main character they want you to play as, while WRPGs are the ones that focus more on the roleplay element.
Also, isometric action oriented is 90% of Diablo-likes, and all of those are western.

Arcanum is story-heavy, isometric, action-oriented and turn-based with deep character customization with a heavy focus on experimentation and exploration, it's really free and multiple problems have multiple solutions. It is not Japanese. Japanese RPGs don't have multiple solutions, and if they have, it's probably not an RPG.

Arcanum is pretty shitty though. It's like anti-fun version of fallout.

See

I don't think it's complete shit, but it's a decent game, and that's it, overrated by these unique individuals who enjoy flawed games you don't know about!!
Even then, it's exactly what OP asked for, except for the character customization.

But it's turn based?

That's a very huge problem.

Actually yeah "action-oriented" doesn't really suit arcanum, as you can talk your way through most of the game.

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